Children read to dogs at Woodford library

The monthly Paws to Read program at the Woodford County Public Library lets students in kindergarten through fifth grade hone their reading skills by reading to therapy dogs.

Rena Cox, 6, of Versailles read to Griff, a two-year-old Australian shepherd, golden retriever and border collie mix, and Griff's owner, Karen Scott, of Versailles, at the Woodford County Public Library on Saturday. The dogs are all therapy dogs and are part of the Love on a Leash organization.
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Olivia Cassidy, 8, of Versailles read I'll Teach My Dog 100 Words to Dax, a seven year-old lab and Australian cattle dog mix, during the Paws to Read program at the Woodford County Public Library in Versailles on Saturday. "I like it (Paws to Read) because kids might not have dogs at home and they can read to these dogs. It might be their first time seeing a dog," said Olivia, the owner of two dogs.
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Pete, a five-year-old lab mix, got his ear rubbed as he listened to Little Lucy, read by Jacob Mitchell, 8, of Versailles. Pete has been attending Paws to Read off and on for about two years.
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Felicity Ward, 10, of Versailles read Little Lucy, a book about a beagle puppy, to Claire, a five-year-old samoyed. "I enjoy reading and I enjoy dogs," said Felicity.
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Jade Ward, 8, of Versailles, read to Dax, a seven year-old lab and Austrialian cattle dog mix, during the Paws to Read program at the Woodford County Library in downtown Versailles, on Saturday, January 12, 2013. This was Dax's first of ten supervised visits after being certified by the Love on a Leash program. Photo by Briana Scroggins
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Ryan Mitchell, 6, of Versailles, read to Lexi, a three-year-old golden retriever and her owner, Lisa Freeman, of Versailles, during the Paws to Read program at the Woodford County Library in downtown Versailles, on Saturday, January 12, 2013. Photo by Briana Scroggins
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Felicity Ward, 10, of Versailles read "Little Lucy" to Claire, a five-year-old samoyed, during the Paws to Read program at the Woodford County Library in downtown Versailles, on Saturday, January 12, 2013. "I enjoy reading and I enjoy dogs," Felicity said. Photo by Briana Scroggins
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Felicity Ward, 10, of Versailles, read "Little Lucy" to Claire, a five-year-old samoyed, during the Paws to Read program at the Woodford County Library in downtown Versailles, on Saturday, January 12, 2013. "I enjoy reading and I enjoy dogs," Ward said. Photo by Briana Scroggins
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Olivia Cassidy, 8, of Versailles, read "I'll Teach My Dog 100 Words," to Dax, a seven year-old lab and Austrialian cattle dog mix during the Paws to Read program at the Woodford County Library in downtown Versailles, on Saturday, January 12, 2013. "I like it [Paws to Read] because kids might not have dogs at home and they can read to these dogs. It might be their first time seeing a dog," Cassidy said, an owner of two dogs. Photo by Briana Scroggins
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Olivia Cassidy, 8, of Versailles, read "I'll Teach My Dog 100 Words," to Dax, a seven year-old lab and Austrialian cattle dog mix during the Paws to Read program at the Woodford County Library in downtown Versailles, on Saturday, January 12, 2013. "I like it [Paws to Read] because kids might not have dogs at home and they can read to these dogs. It might be their first time seeing a dog," Cassidy said, an owner of two dogs. Photo by Briana Scroggins
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Adriana Santos, 9, of Versailles, hugged Claire, a five-year-old samoyed, during the Paws to Read program at the Woodford County Library in downtown Versailles, on Saturday, January 12, 2013. Photo by Briana Scroggins
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Adriana Santos, 9, of Versailles, hugged Claire, a five-year-old samoyed during the Paws to Read program at the Woodford County Library in downtown Versailles, on Saturday, January 12, 2013. Photo by Briana Scroggins
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Jacob Mitchell, 8, from Versailles, rubbed Pete's ear as he read "Little Lucy" during the Paws to Read program at the Woodford County Library in downtown Versailles, on Saturday, January 12, 2013. Pete is a five-year-old lab mix that has been attending Paws to Read off and on for about two years now. Photo by Briana Scroggins
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Rena Cox, 6, of Versailles, read "I'll Teach My Dog 100 Words" to Griff, a two-year-old Australian shepherd, golden retriever and border collie mix, and Griff's owner, Karen Scott, of Versailles, during the Paws to Read program at the Woodford County Library in downtown Versailles, on Saturday, January 12, 2013. Photo by Briana Scroggins
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"Claire just loves children," Allyson Clark, Claire's owner, said. "We go anywhere there are kids." During the Paws to Read program at the Woodford County Library in downtown Versailles, on Saturday, January 12, 2013.
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Caroline Murray, 10, her sister, Morgan Murray, 12, and Madeline Springate, 11, all from Versailles, petted Claire, a five-year-old samoyed, during the Paws to Read program at the Woodford County Library in downtown Versailles, on Saturday, January 12, 2013. Morgan and Madeline are Teen Advisory Group "TAG" Volunteers at the library, and Caroline is looking forward to joining TAG next year when she is old enough. Photo by Briana Scroggins
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Jade Ward, 8, of Versailles, played with Claire, a five-year-old samoyed, and her owner, Allyson Clark, of Frankfort, during the Paws to Read program at the Woodford County Library in downtown Versailles, on Saturday, January 12, 2013. "Claire just loves children," Clark said. "We go anywhere there are kids." Photo by Briana Scroggins
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VERSAILLES — Olivia Cassidy knows that when you're reading a book to someone, it's important for them to be able to see the illustrations — even if the listener is a dog.

So as she settled in to read a picture book to Lexi on Saturday afternoon, Olivia, 8, placed the book on the floor, right in front of where the golden retriever lay resting her head on her paws.

Olivia and Lexi were participating in the Paws to Read program at the Woodford County Public Library.

The monthly program allows students in kindergarten through fifth grade to hone their reading skills by reading to therapy dogs.

Olivia's grandmother, Linda Cassidy, said Olivia spent the night with her in Mount Sterling on Friday but wanted to be sure to be back home in time to attend Paws to Read on Saturday.

"It's very important to her," Cassidy said. "She loves it."

Bookie Wilson, assistant youth services librarian for the Woodford County library, noted that the dogs aren't judgmental about mispronounced words or halting delivery.

"This is a wonderful way for kiddos to practice their reading in a safe, warm environment," Wilson said. "Everybody needs a boost in their confidence, whether you're a stellar reader or not."

The dogs are all pets whose owners are part of the Central Kentucky chapter of Love on a Leash, an organization that provides therapy pet visits to schools, hospitals and nursing homes.

Lexi's owner, Lisa Freeman, who helps coordinate the Paws to Read program with the library, said she loves watching the dogs and children interact, and she said reading to a dog has been shown to help children improve their reading.

"You can hear them lose their inhibitions when they're sitting with the dogs," said Deborah Mitchell, who brought her sons Ryan, 6, and Jacob, 8.

Ryan, who read Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs to Lexi, said he likes reading to his dog at home.

"Sometimes I think she drools on the book," he said with a grin.

Woodford County Youth Services Librarian Becky Watson said the program started in 2008 and is one of the library's most popular activities for elementary-age children.

"Part of our goal is to keep them coming year-round," she said, noting that the program attracts lots of kids during the winter months, when visits from school-age children might not be as frequent.

Wilson said Paws to Read generally draws 12 to 15 children and four to 12 dogs.

On Saturday, the children rotated among six dogs, who seemed to enjoy the event as much as the kids.

"She's perfect for this," Allyson Clark said of her 5-year-old samoyed, Claire. "She has this special gift. ... She loves children."